Having taken a closer look at Godolphin’s Tom Kitten last week, we’re looking into another potential 2024 Melbourne Cup contender.
Land Legend, up to now a British-based galloper, has been introduced into the Melbourne Cup betting at $26. He has a great training combo behind him when it comes to the Cup. Trained in Newmarket by James Ferguson up to this point, he is heading to top handler Chris Waller now.
Ferguson was of course responsible for the hugely well-backed 2022 favourite Deauville Legend. Waller know all about how to win the Cup too.
About Land Legend
Land Legend is a northern hemisphere four-year-old. A lovely chestnut gelding, he is by Galileo and it seems staying is his game though he lacks no class.
Owner Bon Ho has a long association with James Ferguson and bought this horse for 100,000 Euros in 2021. The Melbourne Cup is a race that the owner is desperate to win and this horse gives him another chance after the solid run but ultimate failure of Ferguson’s Deauville Legend in 2022.
Land Legend’s Early Form and Background
Land Legend made an inauspicious start to his racing career in England. He finished 9th and 11th in two races on the all-weather at Kempton in late 2022.
He was much better in January 2023 when finishing second at Southwell at 50/1. It should be noted too that offspring of Galileo are never at their best on the Tapeta surface.
Having been gelded, he expectedly improved to win at Newcastle last March. He was then second at York to Chesspiece, also featured by us, before heading to Royal Ascot and then the July Festival at Newmarket where he was sent into Group 3 company.
Having not handled the soft ground at Deauville in France, he was sent to Australia to contest the St Leger at Randwick.
Australia Expected to Suit
Land Legend was treated to an outstanding ride by Tyler Schiller in the St Leger. His fine move mid-race put paid to the opposition by 2¾ lengths, chief among them being Cleveland.
It is thought that he will improve on whatever he achieved in Europe where James Ferguson thought he never showed what he could truly do. In Royal Ascot’s King George V Handicap for example, he’d been unlucky. There, he missed the start and after making up ground got caught in trouble late on.
With Ferguson staying in England, handlers in Australia were looking after Land Legend. They were credited with doing a brilliant job with the feedback being that the horse had flourished.
In the long term, Land Legend will be trained by Chris Waller. Initially, he was to have one last run under Ferguson’s name with the Bendigo Cup chosen over the Melbourne Cup. In 2024 however, the big one must surely be on the agenda.
